Updates from Steve Sarkisian's Thursday Zoom call ahead of Texas Tech

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian held his regular Thursday morning Zoom call to preview Texas Tech and clean up a few last-minute storylines before the Longhorns head to Lubbock to open Big 12 play. A few quotes and things to note from the 15-ish minute call.

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Steve Sarkisian: “I loved the way we practiced Wednesday and today. I thought we looked fast. I thought we looked really intentional in everything we were doing. I thought the spirit and energy was high, so all those things were positive. Monday and Tuesday, we were really trying to understand the gameplan. You could feel the guys almost thinking through it, but Wednesday and Thursday they felt fast, they felt energized, and it felt really good to me.”

Steve Sarkisian confirms DeMarvion Overshown’s targeting appeal was unsuccessful. Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey will start in his place: “I feel great about him. He’s got a bunch of experience, and when he’s played for us in the first three games he’s played really well.”

Steve Sarkisian says Quinn Ewers will travel to Lubbock and suit up. So will Maalik Murphy. Sarkisian said Murphy has made “really good strides.”

Steve Sarkisian on Hudson Card: “I think Hudson has really matured mentally. I think he’s more than capable of operating our offense and doing it at a high level.” — He pushes back on the notion Hudson Card is the reason behind the Arkansas loss, and says the team and staff had a terrible weekend in Fayetteville. — “He’ll be ready to go when his number is called. He’s matured quite a bit. I’m proud of him. This journey here has not been an easy one for him. You get named starter, change starters, come back, compete your tail off, name another guy a starter, injury happens, you step in, you’re playing well, you get banged up and continue to fight through it. I’ve been really proud of Hudson and all that he means to our program and we’re really happy to have him.”

Steve Sarkisian says he’ll know before the game who is going to start, it won’t be a game-time decision: “We’re going to tell them who is starting beforehand.”

Steve Sarkisian on Texas Tech: “I think one thing they do a really good job of is pushing the ball vertically. There’s a lot of seam routes, there is a lot of switch-release seam routes, then their quarterback has the ability to make these throws. They’ve got big, physical receivers on the perimeter. They’re long, I think the two outside receivers are 6-4 and 6-5, respectively. When they get their 1-on-1s, they’re tough to defend as well. Not to mention all of the crossing routes that they’ll call to get guys the ball in space. They tax you in a way that they can push the ball vertically, but they can play crossing route game, the mesh game, which causes issues, too.”

Steve Sarkisian on some missed downfield shots, say it’s worth staying after: “It’s like being a home run hitter in baseball. Your average probably isn’t going to be as high, but when you connect and when you hit it, it’s worth a lot more.”

Steve Sarkisian on the road trip: “As a competitor, you love these moments. You love the opportunity, and you have to love the opportunity. If you go in there uncertain and without the right belief in the people around you, you can start to second guess and play with too much caution, and that’s how you get beat. I think you have to go in confident with the people around you, whether that’s players, coaches, whatever they are.”

Steve Sarkisian on his third-down offense: “We’ve been fine. We’ve been put in some unique third-down scenarios, a couple of third-and-longs, which the percentages are never great there. We’ve been put in a lot of unique third-down opportunities that have, in my opinion, are four-down territory meaning I know we’re going to go for it on fourth down anyway. In reality, in my mind, I look at it as second down. Sometimes that can affect our numbers.”

Steve Sarkisian: “I think we speak a lot to (overcoming adversity). I think football and being on a football team and a college football team has a lot of parallels with life, and adversity in life can come at you in a lot of different ways.” — “So far, I’ve loved the way that our team has responded to the adversity that we’ve gotten faced with. A year ago, not so much. But this year the way we’ve responded, I’ve been extremely impressed.”

Steve Sarkisian on playing on the road, what he learned from the Arkansas trip: “I do think there was a little bit last year in being caught up a little bit too much in what was going on around us.” — “We need to be enamored with us, what we’re doing, and focused on what we need to do to be successful.”